Senior Spotlight: Seniors face their own set of temptations

Published 3:06 am, Saturday, July 25, 2015

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Alice Sawayer

Alice Sawayer

Senior Spotlight: Seniors face their own set of temptations

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Do senior adults really deal with temptations? Yep, no one is exempt. Everyone has been tempted at some time or another. Even Jesus was tempted. But are the temptations for senior adults — the 70-, 80- and 90-year-olds, any different than those that young adults and middle-agers deal with?

I must admit I was intrigued as I researched the topic. Surprisingly, there has been a lot written about elderly temptations. I found several magazine articles, books and even church sermons that were based on scripture found in James 1:14-15 and Joshua 14:6-14. I found a great little book, “Ambushed at Sunset” by Dr. John Gilmore. He writes about coping with mature adult temptations. The book is easy reading, practical and entertaining with a touch of humor.

Even though I found a lot of good information that I could include in this article, I decided to use information that I got firsthand from a couple of conversations with a dear friend who will soon be 91 years young.

Although any temptation can occur at almost any stage in life, some temptations are more likely to occur at one stage than another. For example, the younger generation is more tempted with drugs, steroids, violence and sex. Middle-agers have some of the same temptations that young people deal with, but they also have temptations in the areas of prestige, amassing wealth, gaining control or power at the expense of others, or having extra-martial affairs.

Senior adults are more apt to be apathetic, arrogant, prideful and judgmental. Apathy is likely to set in when senior adults become disinterested in the world around them, and they begin to turn their focus inward toward themselves. This may be brought on by physical limitations. They may not be able to go places or participate in social events, so they become apathetic and give up on life, believing they no longer have anything to offer. Social isolation may be so subtle that they don’t even realize what is happening. My senior friend says apathy can also happen when we become indifferent or down-right lazy!

According to her, too much pride and conceit are two of the biggest temptations with which the elderly struggle. Why? “It makes us look important to our peer group. Everyone wants to feel important.

“It is easy to give into the temptation of feeling useless and worthless when we are retired, because our self-worth was based on what we did for a living and how much money we made. Now we are seen as worthless or useless by the younger folks, so we turn to our peers to feel a sense of importance.”

Being judgmental is another big temptation. “We tend to criticize people, especially when we are among peers who tend to have negative attitudes. Does that make it OK? Of course not. We aren’t in those people’s shoes. Their upbringing, traditions and conditions are different. They have different personalities, different stressors in life, and we shouldn’t judge them and condemn them because they are different.”

It’s obvious that people of all ages face temptations, but senior citizens’ temptations tend to be different from those that young people and middle-agers deal with. I read somewhere that the temptations of the elderly are not usually gross sins of the flesh, but more subtle sins of the spirit. I think that pretty much sums it up.

How can you safeguard against giving into temptations that creep into your life? There are no guarantees, but being aware of what precipitates or triggers your temptations can help. Are you more tempted when you are in a particular place or with certain people? If so, stay away from those places as much as possible and avoid those people. Focus on the future and have a positive attitude toward others and life in general. Be flexible and open to change. It might be helpful to have a “buddy system.” Ask a friend to help you stay focused and positive and agree to do the same for the friend. I have found that reading encouraging and uplifting books and scripture along with prayer is helpful.

Alice Sawayer is a Licensed Professional Counselor and works as a behavioral health professional with integrated healthcare at Central Plains Center in Plainview. Contact her at 806-293-2313 or alicesawayer@att.net.